I have tried to grow Coriander in Melbourne with very little success. Now I have bought a large herb self watering pot that holds 10 litres of water. Should I keep the pot in the full sun during summer or put it in semi shade?
05 Feb 11 George (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Coriander, my wife's favourite herb. In Melbourne, late December 2010, I planted a few seedlings of coriander in a large pot (50cm dia) containing excellent, well-drained soil, fertilizer, a liberal dressing of lime, and a healthy supply of regular watering. Position, all-day sun.
The plants thrived, but unfortunately, after about two weeks the coriander bolted, having produced very small, if any, leaves. Very frustrating.
In hindsight, I strongly suspect the mistake was keeping the very large coriander pot in full sun. I suggest you avoid the afternoon sun until the plants are firmly established (at about 30cm high)
Hope this helps
PS I know from experience that parsley will flourish with only part-morning sun.
15 Feb 11 Melody (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I also failed with Asian coriander then found an unrelated plant called Mexican coriander (Eryngium foetidum) that looks nothing like but tastes exactly the same. It resembles Dandelion in that longish leaves come from a central root at ground level. These are not as soft as the other coriander but are more robust so the flavour can survive some cooking. Cut out the flower stem to prolong life but it does seed readily too. I found mine at a nursery so maybe ask your friendly nursery staff to look into it for you. Cheers!
19 Jul 11 Andrew Griffiths (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Regular coriander bolts in the Summer as you say. I keep the seed for next year, and I grind it up for Mexican flavour. The combination of coriander seed, cumin and cayene, in tomato puree, a bit of Worcestershire and vegie stock makes the perfect flavour.
Yes, it's always the same, regular coriander will bolt in the Victorian summer. I returned from Thailand with some seeds earlier this year and sowed them together with the seeds I've been using in the past. But this time, I sowed them at the end of summer. Wonderful bushy leafy coriander is growing through the winter, just clip and use, then it keeps growing. Even frost here in Yarra Valley has not stopped it. Best crop ever, but not crossing my fingers for this summer's plantings. Winter is the trick and same suggestion from Thai friends.
I had luck with a $1.50 pkt of coriander seeds from Aldi ( meant for the kitchen, but I planted them lol) - better than more expensive brand
coriander seed from the garden centre. Winter is the go, it hates the
Aussie sun !
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